India will add 65,000 MW of power during the 12th five year plan as various power projects will be commissioned by then, union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on 01-01-2011 at Agarthala. 'India's electricity needs will be solved to a large extent in two-three years after the commissioning of various thermal and hydro-electric power plants now under various stages of construction,' Shinde said here after the opening ceremony of a power project.

'These projects will be commissioned well ahead of the end of the 12th five year plan. 'This is for the first time in 60 years (after India's independence) that 9,500 MW power was be added in a single year (April 2009-March 2010),' he said.

The minister said the 65,000 MW would augment India's growth rate in all areas.

The state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) would set up a 52 MW power plant in western Tripura. The Rs.292 crore plant would be run by water and the heat emitted from its existing 84 MW thermal power project.

The proposed combined cycle extension power plant is to be commissioned at Ramchandranagar, 25 km from here. It is the second of its kind after the Kathalguri gas-based combined cycle project in eastern Assam.

'The new power plant will be commissioned within 30 months from the starting of the work,' NEEPCO chairman and managing director I.P. Barooah told reporters.

'The existing 84 MW natural gas-based Ramchandranagar power project, commissioned in 1997, has been discharging on an average 420 degrees Celsius heat following the burning of the gas. The emitted heat involving water will run additional turbines to generate electricity,' he said.

Tripura governor D.Y. Patil laid the foundation stone of the project in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and state Power Minister Manik Dey besides Shinde.